Hakainde Hichilema, the President of Zambia, has said he would be ordering more Fugu after admiring the Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a colourful Fugu.
The Zambian President’s comments follow the social media clash between Zambians and Ghanaians over the outfit worn by Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama when he arrived in Zambia.
In a video post by TV3, read, “President of Zambia has ordered more Fugu after admiring the Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a colourful smock/fugu/batakari”.
The Zambian President speaking in the video stated, “And I’m very happy that the foreign minister, you are dressed like that.
I asked my team to post on various platforms that the president of Zambia would be ordering more of that stuff for himself”.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama, speaking on Friday, February, suggested that Ghana’s traditional fugu smock could soon gain global popularity.
President Mahama thanked, thanked Zambians for marketing Ghana’s fugu.
Mahama reflected on how social media amplified a moment in which a Zambian described the attire as a “blouse” during his recent visit to Zambia.
He stated, “Smock has become an integral part of our culture. The smock weavers in Ghana will be very happy because, through the power of social media, they have received branding and marketing they could never have imagined”.
“While people were commenting on my arrival, one person from the crowd asked, ‘What blouse is he wearing?’ and it triggered a whole social media firestorm”.
He added, “I thank Zambia for marketing our fugu for us. It might even become an export item in our bilateral trade. We will export some fugu and create a new fashion trend”.
Also, Wodemaya, a popular Ghanaian content creator and YouTuber, has schooled some Zambians for describing President John Dramani Mahama’s outfit as a blouse.
The Ghanaian content creator and YouTuber expressed strong displeasure over comments made by some Zambians.
During Mahama’s visit to Zambia, he was spotted wearing a fugu, a traditional Ghanaian smock which some Zambians were describing as a blouse.
Wodemaya in a post on X stated, “Dear Zambians,
The outfit worn by our President is not a BLOUSE. It is a Ghanaian traditional attire known as FUGU, also called Batakari.
Our President is intentionally promoting the local garment industry both within and beyond our borders, unlike your President, whose suit is not African. It is unfortunate that many of you, despite having access to smartphones and the internet, still choose to remain ignorant”.
Watch the video below:
President of Zambia 🇿🇲 has ordered more Fugu after admiring the Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a colourful smock/fugu/batakari.#3NewsGH #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/JaGQ1GZLF2
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 6, 2026